A Mentor's Many Injuries
by Pickledpumpkinpoppers
Summary: A series of one shots of a genderbent Kid Flash witnessing various injuries and low points her mentor goes through over the years. From sprained ankles to mental breakdowns to hours of surgery, Wally sees far more than anyone ever wanted. Genderbent Flash and Kid Flash.
1. Chapter 1

Wally liked Sue Dibney well enough, she actually liked her a ton, but she wasn't Berry, and Berry was the one that had promised to spend the whole day with her. But, of course, Justice League business had come up, and Berry was needed. So, Wally was sent up to the Watchtower, since Iris was in Hollywood for a story right now, and she was left with Sue for however long it was going to take for the league to deal with whatever was going on. Being left alone on the Watchtower the first fives times had been awesome and amazing, but not being a member of the league made it so she couldn't read anything in their library, look through their trophy room, or have fun in the training room without supervision. She was stuck playing game after game of checkers with Sue, which was not fun, even if they did call it space checkers.

"Are you sure we can't listen in on what they're doing?"

"No matter how hard I try, I can't figure out how to patch myself in," Sue sighed, triple jumping and crowning her piece, "They are all really touchy about non-members messing with their stuff. I haven't been able to convince Ralph to let me since I started waiting up here. I think they just don't want me to worry."

"But it's so boring!"

"I know, but they say they don't want to run the risk of anyone that isn't them messing up their frequencies, or something like that."

Wally slumped down and intentionally moved her last piece into a place where she would lose it, not wanting to go through the motions of playing anymore. She looked toward the door to the monitor room, where she knew Aquaman was monitoring the current mission. The door was locked, but that didn't seem like it would be too much of a problem. Not since she'd overheard Berry and Green Lantern talking about override codes to that door specifically. The problem would be keeping Aquaman from noticing and kicking them out right away.

Maybe the mission was intense, and he wouldn't be paying attention to them at all. If he wasn't, though, Wally knew that there was a serious lecture and disappointed frown waiting for her from Berry. It wouldn't be fun. But it couldn't be any worse than playing the thousand-and-first game of space chess for another three hours. At least getting in trouble would be something to do.

Inwardly talking herself into it, Wally started opening the door before she could talk herself out of it, and Sue was right behind her.

Aquaman was by the console, engrossed in listening to the information coming in over the comms, and he either didn't notice them coming in, or didn't care at this moment. Wally and Sue hurried behind one of the massive computer consoles, that just so happened to be right across from the zeta tube, and listened in.

"They're down," it sounded like most of the action was over, so that was a little disappointing. On the bright side, that meant that Berry would be back soon, and their day would get back on track! She might even dodge trouble if she and Sue made it back into their little, boring room before the league got back.

"Zeta tubes are clear!"

"Then get her up to medical, now!"

Medical? Who was hurt? What if it was Berry? What had they been fighting? What if it was really bad? Wally strained her ears to hear someone say who was being brought to medical, but things were mostly quiet now.

The tube glowed and the image of three figures appeared, on slumped between the others, and, in a second, they fully materialized. Wally felt her heart jump into the back of her throat when she recognized her mentor's bright, red suit on the slumped figure.

"Almost there, Berry," Hawkman assured the speedster, moving in a carefully smooth and synchronized with Batman as they stepped onto the floor.

"Wally can't see this! Wally can't see this!" Berry's voice sounded thick and strained.

"She won't, Berry. She's with Sue in the conference room," Batman assured her, "She won't see this."

"You have to call Iris! Wally needs-"

"Berry, we'll take care of it. Right now, you need to concentrate on yourself. Wally will be all right, you are the one that's doing bad."

"But I'm responsi-"

"What happened?" Aquaman hurried up to them.

"She got caught in some crossfire," Batman and Hawkman didn't pause in moving across the room, "Get Dr. Midnite up here!"

Aquaman returned to the console to do as told, and the trio continued on. Sue suddenly yanked Wally back so she couldn't see them all anymore. Wally opened her mouth to protest, then realized that it was a bad idea to do so, and went back to look again, her curiosity to see what was wrong with her mentor overriding any thought to how bad it might be.

"Wally, don't!" Sue hissed.

Wally ignored Sue's order and looked around the tube again, and loudly choked on air. The three heads snapping in her direction barely registered, and what everyone was saying was muffled and distant. Wally's full attention was on the slashes and thick spines all over Berry's back, the blood staining the tops of her bright, yellow boots. It was gruesome, it burned into her mind, and it made her sick.

When she finished spilling her guts all over the floor, an angry sea king escorted her and Sue back into the conference room and barked at them to stay there as he left. He didn't say anything about what was going on, he didn't give any assurances, and he made sure that Wally couldn't get through the door.

An hour went by, then two, and Wally spent it all crying, before the door opened and Batman and Sue's husband, Elongated Man, came through. Elongated Man went directly to his wife and they moved off to the side, talking in quiet tones, while Batman came and sat down in the chair beside Wally.

"Berry is going to be okay," Batman started calmly, "Surgery went well and she's going to be fine. She's resting right now, so we've called your aunt, and she's coming as soon as she can. Until then, I think it is pretty clear that there is something else that we need to talk about."

Wally swallowed and stared down at her fidgeting hands. She knew she was in trouble, big trouble, and she wondered if she was spending her last few moments of being allowed on the Watchtower. She'd broken rules before, and Berry always gave her a serious scolding, but this wasn't like those other times.

"What happened today, a member of the league getting hurt so bad, is not the norm. But when it does happen, it's not any better than what you saw. You shouldn't have seen that, no one wanted you to see that, no matter who it was. That's why we, that's why Berry, wanted you to stay in here while we handled the mission. Because it happens just often enough, we wanted to protect you from having to live with that kind of image in your mind while you are still so young."

"I'm sorry," Wally whispered, feeling her face heat up as scalding tears flooded from her eyes.

"I'm sorry too," Batman put a comforting hand on her shoulder and silently let her cry. People could say what they wanted about Gotham's dark knight, Wally had heard Green Lantern complaining to Berry often enough, but he was patient and unobtrusive.

"Batman?" Superman appeared in the door way.

"What?"

"Flash is awake, and she's asking for Kid Flash."

"Alright, thank you," Batman stood up and looked down at her, "Are you ready to go see her?"

Wally nodded furiously and resisted using her superspeed to run to the medical bay. She knew where it was, she knew she could get there in just two seconds, but she didn't want to press her luck after earlier. So, she followed Batman through the halls of the space station until the stinging scent of antiseptic filled her nose and she was standing in the doorway of the recovery room.

Berry was laying on her stomach, face colourless and looking so exhausted, Wally hesitated going in. Resting after injuries was important to a speedster, and Wally didn't want to get in the way of that. And Wally's mind couldn't help but superimpose the sight of Berry's bloody back over the blue blanket hiding the wounds away. It would just be better if she just left. "Wally?" Berry's tired eyes had flicked over to the doorway and caught sight of her. There was no going back. Wally walked over beside the bed, and stood there, unsure of what she should say.

Berry smiled a little sadly and patted the space on the bed beside her. Wally looked back at the door and found that it was closed, they were alone. She carefully moved onto the bed, and moved as close as she could to her mentor, beginning to tremble when she felt Berry put an arm around her.

"It's okay," Berry placed a kiss into Wally's hair, "Everything's all right now. It's okay."

"I'm sorry!" Wally couldn't hold it back. She needed to apologize and have Berry forgive her! "I'm sorry! I know I shouldn't have done it! I'm sorry!"

"Don't worry, kiddo," Berry's voice was thick and sleepy, "Everyone makes mistakes, and I'm going to be right here to help you through this one. Alright?"

"Please!"

"Please what?"

"Please, don't get hurt like that again!"

"I can't promise that, Wally," Berry now looked apologetic, "I would if I could, but I can't. I can only promise that I'll do my very best to make sure that you are safe."

That wasn't what Wally wanted to hear, but she knew it was the truth. It was coming from the most honest person Wally had ever known, so it was as good as gospel. She didn't want Berry to keep her safe, she wanted Berry to keep herself safe! She'd once thought that The Flash was too fast for anyone to hurt, and now that she knew otherwise, she was scared. Berry was the best thing that had ever happened to Wally, and she would do anything to keep from losing her.


	2. Fear

Wally was used to waking up in the middle of the night because Berry was returning from handling an emergency. Waking up was followed by a prickle of annoyance that Berry had not taken her along for whatever it was. They were partners, even if Wally had already been asleep, and that meant Berry didn't have to work alone. The Flash was one of the best heroes on her own, but she was even better with Kid Flash watching her back.

She heard something break downstairs, possibly a dish, then decided to go down to see if Berry was all right. Knowing her guardian, she was going to have to break out the medical kit they kept.

No lights were on in the house. Wally crept through the hall, down to the kitchen when she didn't see Berry anywhere else. She took in the broken glass and water on the floor, the tap still running, the audible sobs, hushed words and two figures curled up together on the floor. Wally quickly ducked behind the wall next to the doorway and listened in.

"...okay," she heard Jay Gerrick's voice, "You are going to be okay. It's over. He can't hurt you anymore."

Was Professor Zoom back in town? Wally's hand fisted as she thought about that psychopath daring to come back, even after Berry left him for dead near the end of time. If he was, Wally wanted to see him, make him pay for what he had done to Berry and for taking Aunt Iris away.

"I saw him! I saw him! I saw him!" Berry was frantically sobbing out.

"No," Jay was using that tone all heroes had to calm hysterical civilians, "It wasn't him. I promise, it wasn't him. He won't come back. Wally isn't in danger. Everything is going to be all right. It's okay."

For an hour, there was little more than Berry sobbing and Jay soothing her. Wally knew she wasn't supposed to be there. Berry wouldn't say anything against it, if she knew, but Wally knew she wouldn't like it.

She dashed up the stairs when the sobs ceased and things went silent. She listened and it wasn't long before she heard someone trudge up the stairs with a groan. She heard them in the hall, then in Berry's room, then going back down the stairs. Sleep encroached not long after, her mind not so worried knowing that Jay was taking care of Berry.

When she traipsed downstairs in the morning, it was Jay in the kitchen to greet her. The first Flash offered a smile and opened the freezer to pull out a few boxes of waffles, because for all of Jay's qualities and skills, he was an awful cook.

"What are you doing here?" Wally knew Jay wouldn't take offense to the question.

"Berry had an encounter with fear toxin last night. She's going to be fine, but she might be feeling rather rough for the next couple of days."

"So Thawne isn't back?" Jay turned and set the freshly toasted waffles in front of Wally, a deep frown on his face.

"You overheard?"

"Yeah," Wally started digging into breakfast, not looking up.

"Wally, he's not back," Jay sounded like he was so tired of saying that, "And he is not going to come back."

"Okay," Wally smiled, wanting to be as easy as she possibly could this morning, because Jay looked so exhausted.

Jay accepted that and picked up his mug of coffee. He looked ready to drop right into bed at the first opportunity. Had he slept at all the night before? If he hadn't, was it a good idea for him to drink caffeine right now? Wouldn't that keep him wired for hours? Wally didn't remember ever seeing Jay drink coffee before, so she had never given a single thought to it before.

"Wally, are you ready for school?" Berry walked into the kitchen, looking worse than the time she'd been infected by a stomach flu that had been strong enough to take down Superman for a week. Red eyes sunk into grey tinted skin, somehow making her face look hollow. Her bruised and cut hands shook as they held and dug through her purse. It couldn't be possible, but it looked like Berry had lost enough weight to almost be skeletal overnight. It looked like the slightest touch would break Berry Allen.

"Uh, yeah," Wally tried to swallow the lump in her throat after seeing her closest family flinch at the sound of her voice.

"Berry," Jay's tone was low and soft, back to the one from the night before, "Are you planning to go to work?"

"Yes," Berry's voice was so defensive and shaky, "Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

"Wally, how about you go get your school things together?" Wally listened to Jay, a little happy to be sent away so she didn't have to see Berry, though she didn't go far.

"I already called in sick for you and I am taking care of everything else," Jay said after a long moment, "I know why you didn't want me to do that, and I'm sorry if it feels like I overstepped, but your health is far more important than any of that. Take today and the weekend, do whatever you have to do to make yourself feel safe until the toxin has fully worn off, and then you may get upset with me. Until then, don't try to drive, don't try to go to work, and maybe don't try to cook either."

"Okay," the lack of fight was a relief. Wally zipped upstairs before Berry or Jay could come out of the kitchen.

Hurrying back down the stairs a few minutes later, she bumped into Berry, making her jump and bite back a small cry.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" Wally rushed out. After a moment, she was wrapped in the kind of tight hug that only one person could give to make her feel better.

"Don't worry, kiddo," a kiss was dropped into her hair, "Have a good day. Love you."

Berry dashed upstairs, breaking the no speed in the house rule she enforced more than curfew. She didn't reappear.

"Time for school, Walls," Jay led the way to the car.

Berry was gone when they came back that afternoon. A quick search led to them finding a message from Hal Jordan saying that she was with him.

Berry was gone for two, long days. Jay was awesome, he really was, but he didn't know how to cook, he didn't have a cellphone and he didn't know what Wally was or was not supposed to do, so he didn't let Wally go off by herself at all. It led to a boring couple of days that threatened to melt Wally's brain.

She was in the living room, hanging upside down on the couch and flipping through channels when the front door opened.

"Berry!"

"Whoa!" Wally ignored Berry nearly falling over and just squeezed around her middle even tighter, "Hey, kid. I guess you missed me?"

"Are you all better now?" Wally didn't want to look up to see if she had scared Berry.

"Yeah," Wally heard a smiled as Berry's hand stroked through her hair, "All better, and I'm starved. Do we still have a kitchen?"

"Berry," Jay came out of the den, coming out from doing whatever it was that had been taking up the majority of his time, "How are you feeling?"

"Great," Berry moved Wally to her side, keeping her arm around Wally's skinny shoulders as she started walking across the room, "You hungry? I was just about to get Wally to help me make pork chops."

"As long as I am not the one cooking, I would love to."

Wally knew she and Jay were watching Berry closely as they sat in the kitchen, helping with this and that. She flinched three times, but she did seem to be fine. By the time they finished eating and dishes were all dried and put back, Jay seemed satisfied enough about Berry being back to normal and left soon after.

Wally wasn't satisfied. She never forgot what happened, and she never stopped watching for those flickers of fear on Berry's face.

End


	3. Chapter 3

"What happened? Are you hurt?" Kid Flash ducked under a wall of flying icicles and crouched beside the Flash, who had not moved in the last minute.

"My foot got stuck, but I'm fine," Flash gave an embarrassed smile, "And I needed you over here anyway. I know you don't like to do it, but I need you to go vibrate through that ice wall."

"But, you know what happens when-"

"That's what I need right now."

Kid Flash wasn't so sure about doing it, blowing up an ice wall would send sharp shards as dangerous as broken glass everywhere, but she knew that Flash must have a plan that needed it.

"It's going to be all right, kid. Just vibrate through and find cover. I'll take care of the rest."

"Okay," Kid Flash swallowed and peeked around the car. The ice wall sealing off the bank was a few yards away, not a hard run, and Snart was facing the other way to argue with Golden Glider so he wouldn't be a problem.

"You can do this, kid," Berry put a hand on her shoulder and smiled.

Kid Flash turned around and zapped off. She bolted across the street, vibrating at that frequency that always made her nervous, and went right through the wall. She grabbed three civilians and dove behind the tellers desk. She heard the ice explode and peeked over the desk the moment the shards stopped flying.

She saw Flash outside, standing over a tied up brother and sister duo and grinning at the officers suddenly swarming the area. It looked like she was making terrible puns and jokes, if the laughter from the officers was anything to go by. But she wasn't standing right. She looked like she was leaning all of her weight on her left leg. She never did that.

Kid Flash scowled and dashed over to her mentor's side.

"See you guys later," Flash slung an arm around Kid Flash's shoulders and turned them away, "Tell you what, KF, I'll race you to the closest burger joint to celebrate beating these two losers again. Ready?"

"You're hurt," she wasn't going to be distracted, no matter how hungry she was, "You told me you were fine!"

"I am fine," Flash continued to smile, "It's just a sprain. Let's get something to eat."

"Don't you have to put that on ice?"

"Later. I think a burger would do a ton more to make me feel better right now," Flash started walking with the slightest bit of a limp, "Come on. First one there gets two milkshakes."

"But-" Flash was already heading down the street. Wally rushed after her.

Arriving at the burger joint, there was no fuss about Flash and her sidekick sitting down at the table, even if their was a steady stream of eager kids and bashful adults coming over to ask for autographs and pictures until their food came.

"You shouldn't run on a sprain," Kid Flash scowled over the three milkshakes, four burgers and a mountain of french fries, "You keep telling me that!"

"Don't worry about it," Flash insisted, "It's not the first time I've got a sprain, so I know it is a very light sprain I don't have to worry about. I have the experience to know how hard I can go before I start hurting myself. It is okay."

"I don't think the league would agree," Kid Flash ducked down from Flash's glare, knowing that was the thinnest ice to step on, "Just saying."

"Probably not," Flash shrugged, "So, how is school going? Do you need more help with anything?"

"It's good," Kid Flash kept looking down at her food.

Flash sighed, "As soon as we finish here, I'll go home and ice it, okay?"

Kid Flash nodded and set about eagerly inhaling the food on her plate, content for now. Flash didn't seem to be in much of a hurry, doing her normal shtick of chatting with everyone around and listening to kids tell made up stories about their own heroics. It wasn't long before Kid Flash was waiting impatiently for the last kid to just stop talking.

"We have important things we need to get to, Flash!" that eventually did the trick. Flash almost reluctantly let herself be dragged out of the burger joint and then limped home with the tiniest roll of her eyes, then meandered about the house to do some chores for a full fifteen minutes, before she finally stopped to ice her injury.

"It's really nothing, Wally," Berry pulled back her cowl as she started going through work papers, having nothing else to do while her swelling ankle was being treated.

"Yeah, nothing," Wally turned away, wondering why she felt more awful about this than Berry did, "It's always nothing."

End


End file.
